As I’d written in my Owleye column this month, there are plenty of global summits and conferences this summer and all the way up to the new year. It makes sense at a time of heightened conflicts and geopolitical tensions, not to mention wars. In a year where my blog is celebrating 25 years of innovation in the 21st century, I wondered if there was any scope for brand innovations in this realm. I have shared my innovative ideas and thoughts on building a climate change brand for UNFCCC and also for the UK Royals on my blog. The global attempt at dialogues and conflict resolution got me thinking about whether brands and companies can do anything to further the possibilities of peaceful resolution and strengthen their own brands at the same time.
This has been a tumultuous year so far and I think it provides a good context for companies and brands to do their bit. That said, not every brand or company should, or needs to, attempt it. I think that companies and brands that position themselves as creators of unity, harmony and agreement can certainly explore the possibilities of upping their communication at a time like this, with a clear strategy, of course. The companies that are positioned around values such as peace, harmony and unity are perhaps few, and I thought of two such companies and brands that could take this opportunity to communicate with their audiences and make a real difference: Absolut Vodka from Pernod Ricard and Benetton.
There are always questions over whether brands and companies should get involved in political and geopolitical issues, and whether it really helps the issue or the brands concerned. I would ordinarily advise companies and brands to avoid politics and religion in their communication, whether it’s with employees, customers, investors and other stakeholders. But where brands and companies whose core values are around peace and amity, or unity and harmony, there is a case to be made for communicating their brand message strongly at a time like this. Especially in the case of Absolut Vodka adopting the new brand strategy I have recommended for them on my blog. I shall deal with this in detail in this article, while I shall address Benetton separately in a piece next month.
Absolut is a world-class vodka produced in Sweden, a country that is known to be egalitarian, prosperous and active participants in peace negotiations around the world. Separately, we know that one of the key attributes and benefits of liquor is its ability to break the ice between people, even when they might be strangers meeting at a party or at a bar. I combined these insights and put them to work in my new brand strategy for Absolut Vodka, when I said that the old Absolut strategy and idea of focusing on the product and turning the bottle into iconic city landmarks might have to change, as it had run its course and was beginning to look tired and predictable.
In my opinion, the Absolut brand should have something more important, relevant and enduring to say and do in people’s lives. And I thought the ice-breaker positioning which I have suggested helps it achieve this. Besides, when you consider that the Absolut brand is now from Pernod Ricard, a company whose core value is the spirit of conviviality, it makes complete sense. You may read my recommended new brand strategy for Pernod Ricard corporate brand here.
Now, to make the peace campaign from Absolut work well, one has to ensure it is executed with utmost care and cultural sensitivity to global issues of peace, conflict resolution, immigration, racial prejudice, etc. Therefore, I have tried to steer clear of the brand having to take sides in any war or conflict, and avoided dragging it into the political and religious realms. Instead, Absolut simply appeals to its consumers to speak up for conflict resolution and peace and to break the ice. The appeal of the campaign’s message is in the ideals of peace, equality, justice, friendship and shared prosperity, all values and ideals that are universal and that the world is always striving for.
Some thought is also required regarding the relevance of the Absolut peace campaign’s message for the target audience, who are primarily young vodka drinkers and consumers of other white spirits, as also of cocktails. From most surveys and opinion polls of young people (Gen Z and millennials) that one hears and reads about in the news, as well as from election voting patterns in many countries, it appears that the younger population are still pro-freedom, pro-peace and pro-immigration leaning on the side of multiculturalism and free movement of people, ideas and capital.
The trick then, is to connect the message with the young Absolut vodka drinker in a way that it resonates. I have also incorporated a customer-engagement device especially into the digital campaign, but it can work equally well across all media. It gives people the power to directly influence and effect change in the way they want, when they all come together for peace. You may read my brand strategy and campaign ideas for the Absolut peace campaign by clicking the link below.
While I am not an art director or designer, I have created layouts for the Absolut peace print campaign which you can view below.
A sample digital advert which is an adaptation of the print advertising campaign, is below for you to view. The customer engagement device of the online peace petition gets more prominence here, directing people to a special landing page on Absolut’s website.
And finally, a sample outdoor advert for the Absolut peace campaign which uses the same idea with sites specially chosen in select cities is below. Even though it uses video, it is an adaptation of the print and digital campaign and not the TV advert/video campaign as it communicates the message simply and quickly.
As I say in the main strategy and ideas document, months August to November 2025 are full of international conferences and summits, making it the best time to launch the Absolut peace campaign. Ideally, though, it should follow the release of the main Absolut brand campaign with the new icebreaker strategy that I had shared earlier on my blog.
Stock images used in the Absolut Peace Campaign are from Pixabay, and Unsplash and I am thankful to them
Post script: I am sorry, but the gifs for both the Absolut peace digital advert as well as the outdoor advert that you are viewing have been speeded up in WordPress by unprofessional PR agency idiot bosses’ meddling, while I took care to ensure that just the right amount of time was given for people to be able to read the messages in their entirety.
Peripatetic Perch 